AFC Asian Cup final rounds to be held in round-robin format

The final round of the 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers will be held in a single round-robin format in a centralized venue. The decision was confirmed by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on Wednesday.

Originally scheduled to be conducted in a home-and-away format, the change in ties comes in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Asian Cup will be held in China from June 16 to July 16 in 2023.

"The decision was taken by the AFC Executive Committee after taking into consideration the existing challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, while prioritizing the safety and wellbeing of all stakeholders...," the AFC said in a statement.

The continental governing body added that the final qualification rounds of the Asian Cup will be held on June 8, June 11 and June 14 next year. The AFC will open the bidding process for countries interested in hosting those games.

"The new match schedule may be amended where necessary pursuant to relevant provisions of the competition regulations," the AFC added.

The 2023 Asian Cup will feature 24 teams. Qatar will enter the competition as the defending champions after they defeated United Arab Emirates to win their maiden title.

Will India get affected by AFC Asian Cup final rounds format change?

The Sunil Chhetri-led Indian side have qualified for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. They finished third in the table.

India are likely to find themselves in pot 1 during the final round qualifier draws. The seeding for the draws will be based on FIFA World Rankings as of October 21.

With no more home games, the Blue Tigers will lose their home advantage. They will have to carry their recently concluded-SAFF Championships form to the Asian Cup.

India have bounced back from a couple of disappointing results to claim silverware in Male and Maldives.